Adding a little clarity

Author Archives: nodakbarnes - Page 2

Would you like to build Linux From Scratch but are unsure of the optimum environment in which to do so? If so, then this how-to is for you. I’ll be showing you how to install a customized Slackware Linux virtual machine that you can utilize to build Linux From Scratch. The advantage of doing this in a VM is that you leave your base OS untouched and can easily revert to prior images or even start again from scratch (no pun intended) if needed. Unfortunately, according to the LFS site, the LiveCD is no longer maintained (and which was the preferred host for building LFS):

Note: The LiveCD is no longer being maintained. However, it still works well for many purposes, such as a rescue disk. The packages and the rendered LFS book on the CD are quite out of date.

With that said, this how-to is one avenue to proceed and build your LFS in a host that is sure to work without issues. Keep in mind there are other LiveCD type environments (Knoppix for example), but I’ve never found a better one than what I’ll show you here. So roll up your sleeves, grab a cup of Joe or a pint, and get ready to get your geek on.

I’ve created a small executable that takes the work out of setting the java environment variable that some people struggle with. It was created using bat2exe and makes life simple if you just want Java to work from the command line.

Installing a clean Windows Server 2003 on a headless (no video out) system is not a simple task. I would not recommend attempting this without having either a lot of experience with OS deployment or a lot of patience and desire to learn.

There are generally two ways to do this on the EX47x series: one is to hook into the network boot loader used for recovery mode and push down an image, and the other is to use a pre-configured hard drive. With either method you must have an installation of the OS pre-configured. The most straight forward method is to take a hard drive to another system and install Windows Server 2003, then use Sysprep to prepare for an unattended installation.

I attempted to write a guide here; just remember this is not for the faint of heart.

NOTE: All credit goes to MediaSmartGuy whom I copied and modified these instructions from (and which are tested and known to work flawlessly — Thank you!)

Last week I demonstrated how to create a custom Microsoft Windows XP setup ISO optimized for installation in a virtual machine environment using nLite (The how-to can be found here.). We started with an approximate 500 MB ISO and removed components/services using the nLite utility and pared that down to less than 80 MB. This week I’ll show you how well the unattended install works in VirtualBox and the benefits of doing so.

If you haven’t done so yet, head over to the VirtualBox website and get the binaries needed installed:

Coming soon (possibly tomorrow depending on how motivated I get)…I’ll publish instructions on how to create a barebones installation of Windows XP for installation inside a VM. Why, do you ask? Well, as you know a default install of XP can top a couple gigs and the boot is not terribly quick. My optimized XP has a footprint of approximately 300 MB installed and boots in about 15 seconds in VirtualBox on my 2011 MacBook Air…not too shabby.